But I am proud to stand here and celebrate the achievements of the King James Bible. I am a committed — but I have to say vaguely practising — Church of England Christian, who will stand up for Stolen Moments - Hank Snow - The Singing Ranger values and principles of my faith….

First, the King James Bible has bequeathed a body of language that permeates every aspect of our culture and heritage…. Let me be clear: I am not in any way saying that to have another faith — or no faith — is somehow wrong. And I am also incredibly proud that Britain is home to many different faith communities, who do so much to make our country stronger.

But what I am saying is that the Bible has helped to give Britain a set of values and morals which make Britain what it is today.

It crystallises profound, sometimes complex, thoughts and suggests a depth of meaning far beyond the words on the page…. It is a brilliant summation of the profound sense that there is more to life, that we are imperfect, that we get things wrong, that we should strive to see beyond our own perspective. Like Shakespeare, the King James translation dates from a period when the written word was intended to be read aloud.

And this helps to give it a poetic power and sheer resonance that in my view is not matched by any subsequent translation. According to one recent study there are of these phrases and idioms that come from the Bible. These phrases are all around us…. Of course, there is a healthy debate about the extent to which it was the King James version that originated the Dont Wait (Vocal Mix) - Benji Candelario - Benji Candelario In The Mix phrases in our language today.

Much of that dissemination has come through our literature, through the great speeches we remember and the Vi Mødtes I En Drøm - Various - Fra Alle Os Til Alle Jer - Alle De Bedste Danske Disney Hits and music we still enjoy today. Those who died in Salonika rising to heaven is religious art in the modern age and, in my view, as powerful as some of what has come before. The Biblical I Found You - L.A.

Guns - Hollywood Vampires of composers from Tallis to Taverner are regularly celebrated here in this great cathedral…. But what is clear is that four hundred years on, this book is still absolutely pivotal to our language and culture. The history and existence of a constitutional monarchy owes much to a Bible in which Kings were anointed and sanctified with the authority of God….

And yet at the same time, the Judeo-Christian roots of the Bible also provide the foundations for protest and for the evolution of our freedom and democracy. And the knowledge that God created man in his own image was, if you like, a game changer Vi Mødtes I En Drøm - Various - Fra Alle Os Til Alle Jer - Alle De Bedste Danske Disney Hits the cause of human dignity and equality.

Crucially the translation of the Bible into English made all this accessible to many who had previously been unable to comprehend the Latin versions. In a similar way, the Bible provides a defining influence on the formation of the first welfare state.

Just as in the past it was the influence of the church that enabled hospitals to be built, charities created, the hungry fed, the sick nursed and the poor given shelter…. And when it comes to the great humanitarian crises — like the famine in Horn of Africa — again you can count on faith-based organisations…. But in the past century, the proportion of people in the world who adhere to the four biggest religions has actually increased from around two-thirds to nearly three quarters…. For example, it is now thought there are at least 65 million protestants in China and 12 million Catholics — more Christians than there are members of the communist party.

Official numbers indicate China has about 20 million Muslims — almost as many as in Saudi Arabia — and nearly twice as many as in the whole of the EU.

Societies do not necessarily become more secular with modernity but rather more plural, with a wider range of beliefs and commitments. They argue that by saying we are a Christian country and standing up for Christian values we are somehow doing down other faiths. First, those who say being a Christian country is doing down other faiths…. Many people tell me it is much easier to be Jewish or Muslim here in Britain than it is in a secular country like France.

Because the tolerance that Christianity demands of our society provides greater space for other religious faiths too. And because many of the values of a Christian country are shared by people of all faiths and indeed by people of no faith at all. Second, those who advocate secular neutrality in order to avoid passing judgement on the behaviour of others….

And when it comes to fighting violent extremism, the almost fearful passive tolerance of religious extremism that has allowed segregated communities to behave in ways that run completely counter to our values….

Frankly, we need a lot less of the passive tolerance of recent years and a much more active, muscular liberalism.

A passively tolerant society says to its citizens, as long as you obey Whatchusay - Bitch Ass Darius - Fu*k It law we will just leave you alone. But I believe a genuinely liberal country does much more; it believes in certain values and actively promotes them. I believe the church — and indeed all our religious leaders and their communities in Britain — have a vital role to play in helping to achieve this.

I have never really understood the argument some people make about the church not getting involved in politics. To me, Christianity, faith, religion, the Church and the Bible are all inherently involved in politics because so many political questions are moral questions.